Find out whether your group of girlfriends is good for your mind and body

You get more than just a little help from your friends, finds a new Brigham Young University study—you get good health, too, if you have the right ones. A strong social network, especially one with healthy pals, improves your chance of living longer by 50%. It doubles your odds of surviving cancer and wards off colds. Friends may even reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, says lead study author Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD. And not having close bonds can be as bad for you as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.

Consider your group of friends as you take the quiz on the following pages, and tally up how many of the following statements accurately describe your circle—and how many don't. Then look for the category that matches your score for assessment and advice.

3. ...haven't gained a lot of weight recently. (But even if just one has, count this as a no.)

Yes No

4. ...live close enough that you regularly meet face-to-face.

Yes No

5. ...rarely complain of being lonely or tell you they have no one to turn to but you.

Yes No

6. ...feel happy—either due to joyful events such as a son's wedding or finally buying a dream house—or just because.

Yes No

7. ...always listen with sympathy when you need to vent about work or a vexing family situation.

Yes No

8. ...feel free to ask you for small favors—such as picking them up at the airport or giving them free tax advice—and let you know your efforts are appreciated.

Yes No

9. ...don't act one way alone with you but differently in front of others.

Yes No

10. ...are not smokers. (If even one smokes, count this as a no.)

Yes No[pagebreak]

11. ...may sometimes need your shoulder to cry on but are ready to return the favor.

Yes No

12. ...understand that you're human and can't always be perfect.

Yes No

13. ...lose weight (if they need to) by eating right and/or exercising. (Even if only one friend has done this, count this as a yes.)

Yes No

14. ...try to be tactful and spare your feelings, even when they're telling you they disapprove of your choices.

Yes No

15. ...seem pleased with their relationships and/or family life.

Yes No

16. ...almost always answer your calls, show up, and make time for you.

Yes No

17. ...never stand you up, lie, or talk behind your back.

Yes No

18. ...have many other friends.

Yes No

19. ...chat back and forth with you (in person, by phone, or online) at least once a month.

Yes No

20. ...make you laugh out loud a lot.

Yes No[pagebreak]

YOUR SCORE

Total Yes: ____

Total No: ____

More Yes Than No Answers:

You have health-boosting buddies: Your circle of friends makes you feel connected and needed. That's good news for your mood and your body. "Supportive friendships can help you cope with stress, so you're less likely to suffer its negative physical and emotional effects," says Dr. Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology. Better still, if a friend of yours—or even a friend of a friend--is happy in her life, chances are higher that you are (or soon will be) too, suggests a recent multi-university study. "Human beings are hardwired for emotional contagion," says study coauthor Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, a professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard University and co-author of Connected. The caveat is that you must meet with your happy friend in person to "catch" her cheer: If she lives within half a mile of you, you're 42% more likely to be smiling yourself, but the effect decreases with distance.

While even far-off friends can bestow some health benefits, make sure that you have enough face time with closer chums to get the full effect. "Cell phones and social media are wonderful for enhancing relationships, but they're not a substitute," cautions Irene S. Levine, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. "Plan time to see pals regularly—even if you have to multitask by meeting for a manicure or shopping. For long-distance loved ones, try to connect in person at least once a year."

About The Same Number Of Yes/No:

There's room for improvement: Your connections could use a checkup: Some of your pals may present problems for your well-being. If someone you're close to is often critical, competitive, needy, or untrustworthy, the relationship is unlikely to provide you with a stress-busting boost: Friends you feel ambivalent about raise your blood pressure (and potentially your risk of heart attack and stroke) even more than outright enemies, Dr. Holt-Lunstad found in another study series. "People we just don't like are pretty predictable, so they're easier to cope with," she says.

"Those toward whom we feel ambivalent, we care about on some level, so when they're unreliable or say something that hurts, it stings more." Just thinking about seeing someone with whom you have a love/hate relationship can up your anxiety level. And that kind of wary response means that when you share good news with these friends, you may disengage and not get the same uplift that sharing happy tidings would ordinarily give you.

Cutting these problematic pals out of your life often isn't necessary (or realistic), however. Instead, back off gradually and focus on cultivating ties with more straightforwardly supportive people.[pagebreak]

More No Than Yes Answers:

Your circle's in need of treatment: You may have landed in this category because while you do have pals, they're not exactly the picture of health themselves. Dr. Christakis's research shows that if you have a friend (nearby or far away) who becomes obese, you're 57% more likely to become obese too. Even a friend of a friend of a friend gaining weight can up the numbers on your scale, albeit to a lesser extent. Additional studies have found that the same is true of depression, heavy drinking, and smoking—apparently because we're heavily influenced by those around us. But that doesn't mean you should drop a pal who's been stress-eating or unable to kick cigarettes. "Rather than focus on how your friends are adversely affecting you, concentrate on how you can affect them for the better," advises Dr. Christakis. Improving your habits will not only benefit you—your good example will send healthful ripples throughout your circle.

You might also have landed here because you have a loose collection of acquaintances but would describe few of them as close. Strengthening your social connections will serve you well, physically and emotionally. People who feel lonely are less likely to get enough sleep, see the doctor when they need to, or handle everyday stress as well, according to a recent study from the University of Arizona. That's why it's best to get back to making good friends—today.